Top 25: No. 5 Xavier beats Butler; 10th straight win.
CINCINNATI — J.P. Macura scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half to get Xavier rolling, and Trevon Bluiett had 21 points as the fifth-ranked Musketeers won their 10th in a row, beating Butler 86-79 on Tuesday night.
The Musketeers (15-1, 3-0 Big East) matched their highest ranking in school history on Monday. A day later, they matched the best start in school history by getting up 14 points and holding on against the team that’s pulled off the biggest upset so far in the conference.
Butler (12-4, 2-1) was coming off 101-93 win over then-No. 1 Villanova on Saturday. The Bulldogs were only 4 of 14 from beyond the arc in the first half, with Xavier leading 44-36. Kaiser Gates had a pair of free throws and a 3-pointer that pushed the lead to 66-52 midway through the second half.
NO. 18 TEXAS TECH 85, NO. 10 KANSAS 73
In Lawrence, Kan., Kennan Allen scored 15 points, Norense Odiase and Justin Gray had 12 apiece, and Texas Tech never trailed in winning at Allen Fieldhouse or the first time in 18 tries.
The Red Raiders (13-1, 2-0 Big 12) built a 16-point lead midway through the first half, then found an answer every time the 3-pointdependent Jayhawks (11-3, 1-1) tried to mount a second-half charge.
Zach Smith had 11 points and Jarrett Culver contributed 10 for Texas Tech, which has won its first two Big 12 games for the first time in a decade. The Red Raiders also snapped a four-game skid in league road openers by winning their seventh straight game in the toughest of venues.
FLORIDA 83, NO. 11 TEXAS A&M 66
In College Station, Texas, Egor Koulechov scored 19 points and Keith Stone added 18 as Florida built a big lead early and cruised to victory.
The short-handed Aggies, who were playing without three starters, dropped their second straight game after starting the season 11-1 and rising to No. 5 in the poll. This was A&M’s second straight lopsided loss after a 79-57 defeat at Alabama on Saturday.
The Gators (10-4, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) made 17 3-pointers, led by five from Koulechov and four from Stone to win their fourth straight game.
Texas A&M (11-3, 0-2) was led by Jay Jay Chandler’s 17 points on a night the team was missing Admon Gilder, who missed his fourth straight game with a knee injury, and Duane Wilson who also sat out with a knee injury. Leading scorer D.J. Hogg, who is averaging 14.6 points a game, served the last game of a three-game suspension for an undisclosed team rules violation.
NO. 16 TCU 81, BAYLOR 78 (OT)
In Waco, Texas, Vladimir Brodziansky had 18 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime, as TCU bounced back from its first loss.
The Horned Frogs (13-1, 1-1 Big 12), after blowing a 12-point lead in the second half, went ahead to stay on Brodziansky’s 3 from the top of the key with 1:29 left in overtime that made it 75-74.
Jo Lual-Acuil had 28 points and 11 rebounds for Baylor (10-4, 0-2), while Terry Maston had 20 points and nine rebounds.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 78, NO. 22 ARKANSAS 75
In Starkville, Miss., Nick Weatherspoon scored 22 points and his brother Quinndary Weatherspoon added another 22 for Mississippi State.
Mississippi State (13-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) built off its best start during non-conference play in years, rallying for the win after trailing for much of the second half.
Arkansas (11-3, 1-1) was playing its first game in the AP’s national rankings since March 2015. The Razorbacks came in averaging more than 90 points per game, but Mississippi State slowed the pace and took a 32-28 lead into halftime.
AUBURN 94, NO. 23 TENNESSEE 84
In Knoxville, Tenn., Bryce Brown and Jared Harper each scored 18 points as Auburn erased an early 14-point deficit for its 11th straight victory.
By rallying in its Southeastern Conference opener, Auburn extended its longest winning streak since a 14-game run in 1999-2000. Auburn (13-1, 1-0 SEC) also ended a 10-game road skid in this series and beat Tennessee in Knoxville for the first time since a 74-69 triumph on Jan. 7, 1998.
Lamonte Turner had a carer-high 25 points for Tennessee (9-4, 0-2) has lost two straight games for the first time this season.